PURPOSE

To report the results of scanning laser polarimetry (NFA/GDx; Laser Diagnostic Technologies, San Diego, CA).

DESIGN

Prospective, consecutive observational case series.

PARTICIPANTS

Ten consecutive patients with central retinal artery occlusion (CRAO).

METHODS

Neuro-ophthalmic examination and scanning laser polarimetry of the retinal nerve fiber layer (RNFL) of 10 patients with CRAO.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES

Duration of visual loss, visual acuity, funduscopy, and scanning laser polarimetry of the RNFL in 10 eyes of 10 patients with CRAO.

RESULTS

The duration of visual loss before examination and scanning laser polarimetry ranged from 1 to 7 days. Visual acuity was counting fingers at 1 foot or worse in all 10 eyes with CRAO, and funduscopy revealed pallid retinal edema accompanied by a cherry red spot in all affected eyes. Funduscopy of the fellow eyes in all but one patient, who had anterior ischemic optic neuropathy and was subsequently diagnosed with giant cell arteritis, revealed no acute changes. Scanning laser polarimetry of all eyes with CRAO revealed diffuse attenuation of the retardation of the RNFL. Scanning laser polarimetry of the fellow eye revealed a normal bimodal distribution in the eight patients in whom it could be measured. In one patient who was examined 1 day after the onset of visual loss, repeat nerve fiber analysis 6 weeks later revealed further depression of the RNFL compared with the initial scan. Repeat analysis of the RNFL in four other patients showed persistence of the diffuse depression noted during their initial examinations.

CONCLUSIONS

Scanning laser polarimetry in CRAO reveals diffuse depression of the retardation of the RNFL, which occurs acutely after the onset of visual loss. To our knowledge these patients represent the first reports of scanning laser polarimetry of the RNFL in acute CRAO.